


Heart of a dragon

by NightaStarfeather



Category: Paladins: Champions Of The Realm
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, you can play "spot the reference" in some places
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-02-17
Packaged: 2018-09-25 01:39:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9796706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightaStarfeather/pseuds/NightaStarfeather
Summary: Drogoz didn't have the best start in life and nothing changed for the better over the years. Fed up with his hopeless situation, he tries his best to change it. A little coincidence helps him find just what he needed.





	

Drogoz was laying on a rock, curled into a ball with nose under his tail. From up here he had a perfect look at the whole cave - huge entrance flooded by sunlight, corridors to dens of each family, and a giant, rounded hall connecting it all.

The lair was busy with preparations for today's Feast.

Young dragon curled even tighter. He knew he had to go. As the first born son of the leader, Drogoz had to be on the Feast. It was a formality that had to be done, no way around it. It didn't matter that nobody wanted him there.

A sudden uproar at the entrance caught his attention. He looked away quickly though, pretending to not be intrested. Still, he briefly glanced down from time to time.

His siblings, together with other young dragons, just came back from the pillage. Fighting over who did better, they showed off stolen things to everybody in the hall. Some had expensive food and beverages for the Feast. Others brought essential materias, like wood and matals. Good, but nothing really that special.

But than, all of them threw open sacks of treasure. Golden coins, finely crafted jewelery, glittering gems. And most of it belonged to none other than his siblings.

Drogoz felt bitter jealousy gnawing at him. It was so unfair. They were filling up their hoards with riches and getting praised for it. All the shiniest, prettiest things were theirs to sleep on. And what did he have? A pile of coins so small that he could barely lay his head on it.

Having enough of their show, Drogoz climed down from the rock. He wanted to be anywhere but here. Hoping that nobody would pay any attention to him, dragon skittered near the wall toward his family's den.

"Hey, lizard! Where do you think you're going? You still have to see my loot!"

He didn't have to turn around to know this was his stupid brother. While younger than Drogoz and their three sisters, Rhago was still bigger than them already. Prideful and arrogant prick, that's what he was. He knew full well that Drogoz, albeit first born, wasn't going to become the leader after their father's death. With how Drogoz was, he never stood a chance.

"I've seen enough. If you want to boast, than go show it to father, not me." Drogoz hissed and continiued to walk.

With one powerful flap of his wings, Rhago jumped in front of him, blocking the way. Other young dragons were already circling them, chuckling and snickering.

"Ohhhh, little lizard is jealous? I wonder what would you do for something like this?" Younger brother waved a golden bracelet in front of Drogoz's face. He smacked Rhago's hand away, growling.

"I don't need anything from you! Now get your filthy tail from here and let me go!"

"Why won't you just fly over me? Oh, that's right! You can't!"

Laughter. Like always. All laughing at him. Drogoz felt as if he was boiling inside. Still, he had enough dignity left to not fight back. He would've only make more of an embarassment of himself. He gritted his teeth, keeping quiet instead.

Unfolding his wings to full leangth, Rhago kept mocking him.

"Why won't fight me off instead? Oh, you can't do that too!" Drogoz barely avoided bursting fire from his brother's mouth.

"And you're so weak, that you can't even take a little flame on. You're no dragon! Just a punny little lizard!"

Helpless anger burned inside Drogoz, as others laughed. All of it was right. He couldn't do it. Couldn't fly like others. Almost couldn't jump. Couldn't do anything.

"Now get lost, lizard. Father has to look at my treasure and I don't want you to ruin his view. See you at the Feast." Rhago moved aside, letting Drogoz run past him into the den.

Once in his cave, Drogoz bashed the wall with a fist and horns. Than again and again and again. Slowly, frustration seeped out of his mind leaving only bitterness. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and curled on the floor around his little gold pile.

They all were right. He wasn't a real dragon. Whole lair was waiting for Tyrant's first son that would inherit the position of a leader one day. They wanted him to be powerful, fearsome, a pride of his parents. And they got a lizard instead.

Drogoz knew he was a disappointment from the day he hatched. He wasn't strong enough to break his egg's shell, mother had to do it for him. And what she saw after she picked him up? Twiggy legs and two weird stumps where wings should be. He coughed and coughed, but only oily drool came out, no spark to light it up. That was not a dragon. Just a disgusting, good for nothing lizard.

He had trouble walking at first because of his legs. He couldn't jump properly to this day. He couldn't fly with others to pillage. When he finally learned to climb and went on his own, he had to flee a farmer with a pitchfork, as his scales were too weak to hold against human weapons. Drogoz managed to run away only thanks to human's confusion. Farmer thought that dragon hide was impenetrable.

It was. But it really seemed that Drogoz was not a dragon at all.

**Author's Note:**

> A fic born from the litte question I had from the first time I've played Paladins: what happened to Drogoz's wings?
> 
> This first chapter is short, next should be longer, I think. I don't know when I'll be able to write more though. Work and extreme lack of motivation to do anything make it really hard. I have a solid idea what should be next, so it shouldn't be that bad. Nagging to write more may just kick me back into the mood, so you know what to do if you'd like to see more soon.


End file.
